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The Business of HockeyDiscuss the financial and business aspects of the NHL. Topics may include the CBA, work stoppages, broadcast contracts, franchise sales, NHL revenues, relocation and expansion.

" Look, Bob McKenzie of TSN is an outstanding reporter who works hard, has a well-earned outstanding reputation and loves the game. But he, like essentially every reporter employed by an NHL rights-holder, has from Day One viewed the lockout through the owners' prism. The networks that can do much better — at least the ones based in Canada, that is — owed us much better, that's all I'm saying."

"This is going to be an ugly, nasty week of rumor, gossip and innuendo, all of it focused on this final attempt to break the union. The players should be prepared for it."

" Look, Bob McKenzie of TSN is an outstanding reporter who works hard, has a well-earned outstanding reputation and loves the game. But he, like essentially every reporter employed by an NHL rights-holder, has from Day One viewed the lockout through the owners' prism. The networks that can do much better — at least the ones based in Canada, that is — owed us much better, that's all I'm saying."

"This is going to be an ugly, nasty week of rumor, gossip and innuendo, all of it focused on this final attempt to break the union. The players should be prepared for it."

In the NHL, it is always about reducing to the lowest common denominator. If there are six or eight teams that cannot compete in this 21st Century NHL environment, the league would rather pull the remaining 22 or 24 teams down to their level, rather than trying to raise the bar. That's the approach relating to the CBA. It's the one that propels Bettman to state a league is only as strong as its weakest franchise, which probably would surprise Paul Tagliabue to learn that the NFL is no stronger than the Arizona Cardinals.

does the man not watch/understand football? arizona sux because they are the most poorly managed team in football, not because they are "weak" from a fiscal point of view. if you took the Eagles/Pats front-office and put them in Arizona for 5 years those guys would be en route to the friggin SB. that seems pretty fair to me? manage team well... you win. manage team poorly... you lose. incentive for owners to hire good people to make decisions.

man i hate this guy, he's so busy giving the NHLPA a hummer he's completely lost anything resembling rational thought.

" Look, Bob McKenzie of TSN is an outstanding reporter who works hard, has a well-earned outstanding reputation and loves the game. But he, like essentially every reporter employed by an NHL rights-holder, has from Day One viewed the lockout through the owners' prism. The networks that can do much better — at least the ones based in Canada, that is — owed us much better, that's all I'm saying."

"This is going to be an ugly, nasty week of rumor, gossip and innuendo, all of it focused on this final attempt to break the union. The players should be prepared for it."

Wow. All I can say is wow. Brooks has finally gone over the edge. McKenzie has been one of the shining lights in this poop storm, attempting to remain non-judgemental and looking at both sides equally. Bob McKenzie deserves a massive apology from the biggest sycophant on either side of this issue.

I wonder how many NHLPA jackets Larry Brooks owns? To show just how this whole thing is shaking out, Bruce Dowbiggin was on the air a couple nights ago and proudly spouted off that Bob Goodenow personally presented him with a $300 leather NHLPA jacket recently, for all the hard work he has done. Not only was he stupid enough to accept the gift, but he proudly natters on and on about it on the airwaves. If a clueless twit like Dowbiggin, who writs in a small market, is getting gifts from the NHLPA boss imagine what a guy like Brooks, writing in the largest media market in the world, gets from the NHLPA for his marvelous work? "Slapshots has learned that the new Ferrari parked in my driveway last night was delivered by none other than the sports car ferry!"

Why? Larry speaks the truth. McKenzie has been pro-owner from the start.

No, actually he hasnt. He's as objective as they come.In fact, if you watch TSN you would realize that they are actually quite balanced in their commentating. Healy is a rabid NHLPA supporter, Burke is obviously pro owner, but not near to the degree Healy is pro NHLPA (Burke actually is critical at times about the owners stance, something Healy never is with the NHLPA) & Mckenzie is totally objective.
So no, Brooks as usual has his head up the NHLPA's ying yang.

Why? Larry speaks the truth. McKenzie has been pro-owner from the start.

What on earth are you talking about. He has been pro-owner on some things, pro-player on others. He's been about the only mildly objective voice throughout this thing, and for Brooks to level a claim that McKenzie is biased is absurd. I don't mind Brooks as much as some, but he is clearly more biased than McKenzie.

No, actually he hasnt. He's as objective as they come.In fact, if you watch TSN you would realize that they are actually quite balanced in their commentating. Healy is a rabid NHLPA supporter, Burke is obviously pro owner, but not near to the degree Healy is pro NHLPA (Burke actually is critical at times about the owners stance, something Healy never is with the NHLPA) & Mckenzie is totally objective.
So no, Brooks as usual has his head up the NHLPA's ying yang.

Why? Larry speaks the truth. McKenzie has been pro-owner from the start.

That's not true, the TSN panel is set up so there's a variety of views from each angle.

Healy = NHLPA
Burke = Bettman and owners
McKenzie = Neutrel and sort of tip toes around making any harsh criticisms toward only one side.

If Brooks had any guts he would have directed the shot at Brian Burke (who took huge digs at Brooks just last mounth), but he felt it was safer to knock McKenzie, a nice guy who won't file it away and look for revenge.

PHWA President Kevin Allen has a group of members more worried about attacking each other and taking lobbyist style payments from the NHL and NHLPA to spew their garbage instead of objective journalism.

Wow. All I can say is wow. Brooks has finally gone over the edge. McKenzie has been one of the shining lights in this poop storm, attempting to remain non-judgemental and looking at both sides equally. Bob McKenzie deserves a massive apology from the biggest sycophant on either side of this issue.

If McKenzie is one of the shining lights then why didn't he, with the massive resources behind him at TSN and his numerous sources, get the truth about Levitt's "super audit"? Russ Conway, at a small time paper, was one of the few who actually investigated the validity of the report.

The problem isn't with McKenzie's objectivity. What Brooks feels is that McKenzie has been far too accepting of the ownership's statements. And he's got a point.

The facts that the majority of fans are so misguided about the lockout demonstrates that the public deserves better from the media.

The problem isn't with McKenzie's objectivity. What Brooks feels is that McKenzie has been far too accepting of the ownership's statements. And he's got a point.

I haven't read the story, but this is a fair criticism of McKenzie, but it really applies to the Canadian media as a whole. I would have loved to have seen TSN really dig in and assess the credibility of the statements each side is making. Some of the stuff coming from the Oilers ownership just doesn't make sense, but it's accepted like the word of God.

That said, as Red Fisher said in his book, "My favourite four letter word is 'fair'", and I don't think anyone can make a credible argument that McKenzie hasn't been fair during the lockout.

If McKenzie is one of the shining lights then why didn't he, with the massive resources behind him at TSN and his numerous sources, get the truth about Levitt's "super audit"? Russ Conway, at a small time paper, was one of the few who actually investigated the validity of the report.

The problem isn't with McKenzie's objectivity. What Brooks feels is that McKenzie has been far too accepting of the ownership's statements. And he's got a point.

The facts that the majority of fans are so misguided about the lockout demonstrates that the public deserves better from the media.

If the union has done nothing about the Levitt report, why should McKenzie...

The facts that the majority of fans are so misguided about the lockout demonstrates that the public deserves better from the media

What "facts" are these you speak of?

If I choose to believe that the Levitt report because his team actually had access to NHL numbers, as opposed to some Forbes guessing game who had NO numbers...am I really "mis-informed and "mis-guided"?

Why should McKenzie and TSN spend a whole bunch of time and resources trying to discredit a report, when the union that says the numbers "just aren't true", refuses to do the same?

The Levitt report is not a forensic audit, i think that much is clear, and Bettman was silly for suggesting it was. However, it doesn't change the FACT that Levitt has invited the union to go over his findings with him, and they still wont do it.

Yup...im misinformed allright.

As for Brooks prattling off that nonsense about McKenzie...what a joke. The guy is one of the biggest PA lackeys goiong and has NEVER been afraid to only write one side of the story. But he has the cajones and audacity to call someone else out for allegedly doing the same thing?

Finally, you've got to love this part of the league's last proposal, Section 12 that provides for an independent audit of club finances with penalties of $2M and the loss of a first-round pick for a first offense of failing to disclose required information, and a fine of $5M and loss of three first-rounders for a second such offense. But I thought Arthur Levitt already vouched for the accuracy of the league financial reports?

The NHL has to put in special clauses in a CBA to address owners that intend to misrepresent revenue ..and Bettman says Lets be Partners to the NHLPA and you get 55% of everything we are able to catch them not hiding .. :lol

The union says the owners are lying and only use a fact-less report by Forbes Magazine to prove as such. Yet, Levitt and his accountants had full access to the numbers plus Levitt and NHL offered for the players to hire an independent firm to investigate the league's finances, only for the union to decline.

If you think they are lying about and hiding revenues, then it is your responsibility to put up when the league allows it.

Face it, NHLPA has no basis to criticize the Levitt Report or any financial information disclose by the NHL based upon the fact the NHLPA refuses to do an audit and the very fact they offered an unprecedented 24% rollback because it acknowledges the league's financial crisis.

Larry Brooks is nothing more than a NHLPA schill who refuses to objectively report the news or his opinion.

Everyone single person involved with the NHL and NHLPA is responsible for this mess but not one time has one single PLAYER or NHLPA official admitted their fault, only that is the owners problems and doing.

If a clueless twit like Dowbiggin, who writs in a small market, is getting gifts from the NHLPA boss imagine what a guy like Brooks, writing in the largest media market in the world, gets from the NHLPA for his marvelous work?

I would not care to guess on that one.

What I can add is did anyone see the video feed on Goodenow's and Sakin's statements Friday and the only mics they were talking into?

The so-called largest media market for everything but hockey, only coverage was from:

TSN
SPORTSNET
THE SCORE
THE FAN 590
and another Canadian outlet I'm not familiar with.

Msg, Fox and Espn did not have it's mics or reporters on hand. WFAN in New York read the Canadian wire sources and had a guest on from...The Toronto Star for five minutes....... and went right back to football. The local new shows in the area gave it thirty seconds at best.